I Love You, Sir
by MadnessJones
Summary: G1 AU: Prowl and his fellow Autobots rescue several femmes from a Decepticon slave ship, but the Autobot SIC is in for more than he bargained for between a rescued femme joining the crew, as well as one of the Decepticon slavers. Takes place before the pilot episode. Possible Prowl/OC possible Sideswipe/OC.
1. The Rescue

_Author's Notes: This is a fanfic I've wanted to write since spring of last year, but it never seemed to be the right time. I've had a lot of ideas and this one kept getting pushed back. Well, I'm finally ready to write this story, and I can only hope that it turns out well. I'm a little out of my comfort zone with romance, but this is an idea I don't want to see evaporate into the ether. It's probably cliché to use Prowl as the main character for a romantic story, but he just happens to be the best pick for this particular storyline. Thank you for giving this fic a chance, and if you like the idea please favorite, follow, and/or review :)_

 _Trigger warning: Mentions of femme trafficking._

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Chapter 1

The Rescue

It all started with a mission to save innocent lives. The Autobots and Decepticons had taken their war for Cybertron beyond the planet itself and were currently fighting for control of the outer reaches of their solar system. The area around the fifteenth planet in Cybertron's system was lawless and a frequent hotspot for smugglers and slavers. Many neutrals had fallen victim to the Decepticon terrorists, and even more had found themselves forced to serve cruel masters among the Decepticons' ranks.

This was the environment the Autobot ship called the Savior found itself in. Optimus Prime was still fighting Megatron on Cybertron, but one of his most trusted officers, Prowl, commanded the Savior along with a crew of some of the best Autobots in the fleet.

Their mission on this particular orn was to locate and disable a slaver ship belonging to a powerful mech named Lockdown. Lockdown and his crew were known to capture femmes to sell as pleasure bots, and Prowl's chief spy Mirage had it on good authority that they had just taken on 14 femmes from a captured scientific research vessel. The Autobots would arrest the Decepticons if they cooperated, and if they didn't then they had to prepare for a fight to the death. Prowl was just grateful he had capable warriors on his ship; including the terror twins Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.

"Sir, we have a visual on the Poacher!" The navigator reported; referring to the name of Lockdown's ship.

"Aim for their thrusters and engines. Get in close but not close enough to ram them," Prowl ordered the gunner, and then on the comm link said /Ratchet, this is Prowl. We might have casualties, so prepare the medbay./

/Fine. Just tell the twins to not do anything stupid,/ Ratchet grumbled on the other end of the comm.

The Savior was undetected by the Poacher, so Prowl knew they had the element of surprise. The gunner, Cliffjumper, started by shooting at a meteor on the other side from the Poacher so the ship would believe that was where the attack was coming from. The Savior then moved in on the target and began to fire. The Poacher's thrusters were damaged, but the engine was intact enough for them to move slightly in space. The Poacher then opened fire on the Savior, but the Autobots already knew it was coming and dodged every shot. Prowl calculated their battle strategy as each new development happened and gave orders accordingly. The battle computer installed in his processor made him one of the most calculating officers the Autobots had, and that increased their odds of success.

"Cliffjumper, aim for their starboard weapons array," Prowl ordered, /Sideswipe, Sunstreaker. Get into a shuttle and prepare to deploy. You need to board the ship. Do you need any additional mechpower?/

/Are you kidding?/ Sideswipe asked cockily, /Two of us is overkill!/

Prowl sighed, but didn't press the issue. He had calculated the strength of Lockdown and his forces when compared to the twins. While Lockdown himself was incredibly strong and vicious, his crew was mostly made up of lowlives and underlings. They would pose no challenge to the twins.

Cliffjumper fired on the starboard weapons as ordered, and also fired on the port weapons array. Prowl growled low. He knew if Cliffjumper overtaxed the system it could lead to a malfunction. The Savior, while a decent sized vessel, wasn't built for sustained combat. Sure enough, the extra power to the weapons took away from their thrusters and allowed the Poacher the opportunity they needed to fire!

 _BOOM_!

The ship tilted a little as one of their landing wings was clipped and everyone nearly fell out of their seats, but otherwise nothing was damaged. Prowl turned to Cliffjumper with a stern look, and Cliffjumper returned the look with a sheepish smile.

"Heheh...sorry, sir," Cliffjumper simpered, "To be fair though, I took out part of their port weapons array."

"Just aim for their roof," Prowl replied longsufferingly.

The battle lasted a few more breems, but eventually the Poacher was completely crippled. Their ship was smaller and not as well equipped as the Savior; something Prowl was grateful for. Sure, the Autobot flagship might've been a bit much for a mere smuggler, but to Prowl and the other Autobots every life mattered; even the neutrals. It didn't take long for Prowl to get the report that the twins had infiltrated the ship and had found the femmes; all alive.

The crew on the bridge cheered, all except Prowl himself who merely allowed a satisfied smile to cross his face plates. It was always gratifying when a mission went according to plan.

* * *

A half a joor later Prowl was debriefing the twins, Ratchet, and Mirage. According to the twins most of the 'Cons had managed to escape. Out of the ones that didn't 7 were killed and one surrendered; Lockdown's own second in command Swagger. Ratchet reported that some of the femmes had already been violated by their captors, and one had a broken elbow joint. He also reported that one of the scientists, a chemist named Crystalline, wanted to join the Autobots to help stop the tyranny of the Decepticons.

Prowl asked Mirage about what he saw aboard the ship. Mirage told them what they already suspected, that Lockdown had been a sex-bot trafficker for nearly 15 vorns and his records showed thousands of mechs and femmes that had been taken by him. There were also records to indicate at least 490 murders committed by the captain of the Poacher.

Prowl was very skilled at containing his emotions, but beneath the surface he felt rage and contempt for the Decepticons that had committed such horrible crimes against their fellow Cybertronians.

"The first thing I will need to do is alert the Iacon Autobot Refugee Center that we will be bringing former hostages back to Cybertron," Prowl stated, "This will give them time to find accommodations for the femmes."

"What about Crystalline?" Sideswipe asked, "She wants to join the Autobots, and she wants to work aboard this ship to help other 'Bots in her situation."

"Hm...A scientist might be useful to us," Prowl replied thoughtfully, "Is she willing to work with weapons research?"

"I'll ask her," Sideswipe replied, "I hope she stays. She was really cool the way she tripped that one 'Con so we could catch him. Pretty brave for a science nerd. You should've seen that weaselly 'Con's face plant. I nearly busted a strut from laughing so hard!"

"Ah yes, Lockdown's SIC," Prowl drew out the words as if the very thought of that mech stressed him out, "I will also need to interrogate Swagger. Where is he?"

"I shoved him in the interrogation room as soon as we came back," Sunstreaker snorted derisively, "That little toady isn't worth anyone's time. I would've killed him if he weren't so pathetic."

Prowl had never seen Swagger before so he didn't know what to expect, but at least Sunstreaker's account didn't mention the 'Con being overly dangerous. Still, Prowl felt he needed to conduct the interrogation himself so that his crew wouldn't have to put themselves in unnecessary danger. He dismissed the four Autobots in the debriefing room and headed for the brig; ready for anything.

On the way to the brig however, Prowl was stopped in the hallway by a white femme with gold accents. She had lovely blue optics, white-walled tires on her back, and was holding a data pad. She smiled shyly at him, and Prowl patiently waited to see what she wanted.

"Excuse me, are you Prowl?" The femme asked him, "Second in command to Optimus Prime?"

"Yes, I am," Prowl replied with neither modesty nor egotism, "And you are?"

"Oh, pardon me sir. Where are my manners? My name is Crystalline," Crystalline replied apologetically, "I just wanted to thank you for saving us. You and your crew are truly heroes."

"We are merely doing our duty and protecting Cybertron from the Decepticons," Prowl stated matter-of-factly, "It is not heroism to simply do one's job."

"Oh, but it is!" Crystalline contested, "You have no idea what those animals would have done if you hadn't showed up. The worst part is they destroyed our ship after ransacking it of all energon and valuables. _Vorns_ of research was lost because those Decepticons cared more about short-term profit than long-term progress for our species! If I had been carrying a laser cannon I would have shot Lockdown dead! I had designed a prototype hull material that could power itself using the natural radiation given off by the Cybertronian body, but now it's gone!"

"I understand your ire," Prowl replied as sympathetically as he could manage; pressed for time but unwilling to be rude to someone who had experienced so much trauma, "I am certain you will reconstruct your alloy someday."

"Thank you, sir," Crystalline nodded rapidly in an effort to calm herself down, "Forgive me for interrupting you. I know you must be busy. I just wanted to thank you for saving our lives."

"Well then, I appreciate it," Prowl replied awkwardly; unsure how to reply to that, "I understand you wish to join our crew?"

"Oh, yes sir! I want to do anything I can to stop the Decepticons from harming anyone else the way they did my friends and myself," Crystalline stated enthusiastically, "That is, if you will accept me."

"Would you be willing to develop more accurate laser pistols for our troops?" Prowl asked intently.

"Yes," Crystalline replied without hesitation, "It is not my first choice of project, but I know why you need them. Your patrol is the only thing standing between criminals like Lockdown and his cronies and the peaceful denizens of our solar system. I will do all I can to help, sir."

"Thank you," Prowl said graciously, "Report to Mirage for your crew quarters assignment. We recently had some crew transfers, so you should be able to have your own room for the moment. If we become overcrowded you may be asked to share."

"I don't mind, sir," Crystalline replied, "I'll go right away. Thanks again."

Crystalline then left, and Prowl was finally able to make his way to the brig. Swagger was likely going to be charged with piracy and war crimes in Iacon, so he knew the best way to get the information he wanted from the Poacher's former SIC was to play the role of devil's advocate and act like he had the 'Cons best interests at spark.

When he went into the interrogation room he saw that the 'Con was smoking a bright blue enerjolt stick and almost looked bored at seeing Prowl walk in. The relaxed stance made Prowl's energon boil since he knew he was dealing with a criminal and someone that had helped Lockdown destroy so many lives.

"I assumed the twins locked your subspace," Prowl commented in a scolding tone of voice while looking at the enerjolt in Swagger's digits.

"Yeah, I'm pretty good at hacking code when I need to," Swagger shrugged; his voice high pitched and raspy; like a chain smoking leprechaun, "So, do I get to pick my mode of death or is that your decision?"

Prowl scowled at the casually smoking Decepticon, and took note of Swagger's appearance. He was short, about the same height as Prowl, and was green with yellow piping along his chassis and limbs. The thin metal wheels on his feet and back indicated he was a train-former, and the horizontal gold pipes on his helm could either be weapons or steam release pipes; it was too early to tell. So far this information didn't seem useful, but Prowl knew that information was power, so he would have to observe the Decepticon carefully as he interrogated him.

"Swagger, I am giving you a chance to make a formal statement," Prowl told him, "I need to know the locations where Lockdown smuggles his slaves and stolen goods. I also need to know the names of any possible non-Decepticon connections Lockdown may have."

"Oh yeah? Well what's in it for me?" Swagger asked point blank before sucking in a long drag from his enerjolt.

"You will avoid the death penalty," Prowl replied stonily as he stared at Swagger from across the table.

"Hm, that's certainly tempting, but it's not good enough," Swagger replied as his face plate went from bored to sharp and focused in a matter of seconds, "Avoiding death by the Autobots isn't the same as _avoiding_ _death_. Lockdown would hunt me down like a turbo fox and slowly rip me to pieces if he found out I ratted on him. No, I need more permanent arrangements if we're going to work together."

"What did you have in mind?" Prowl asked with a neutral expression on his face; deciding to play whatever game this Decepticon wanted to play to see where it would take him.

"Well...If I'm turning on the 'Cons, then the only reasonable course of action seems to be to join the Autobots," Swagger not-so-subtly hinted, "Oh by the way, do you want an enerjolt? I have more."

"I don't smoke," Prowl replied coldly, "And I also don't offer asylum to rapists."

"Hey! I never touched those femmes!" Swagger suddenly bolted upright and jabbed a digit in Prowl's face plate, "Besides, it's not like you Autobots are any better! Do you know how many so-called _Autobot_ customers I saw on the Poacher? _Huh_?"

"Weren't you cuffed a moment ago?" Prowl asked while ignoring Swagger's outburst.

"I picked the lock," Swagger replied; slightly calmer as he sat back down, "Listen, I know what you must think of me. Just some nasty little bum messing around with helpless femmes. Well it's not true. The only reason I stayed with Lockdown this long is because I'm afraid of him. I processed the femmes for selling, but that's it! I would never hurt them like that. Ask any of the survivors, they'll tell you."

"If that is true then how did you get to be his second in command?" Prowl asked pointedly.

"I do whatever he says," Swagger admitted, "He wants energon, I bring him energon. He wants me to write down a femme's measurements, I write them down. He wants me to bug the rooms of potential traitors, I do that too. I'm his trained cyberhound, and he's sure I would never betray him. I know that isn't exactly the most innocent sounding portrait out there, but it's the truth. Sir...I have to be honest with you. I hate what I've become, and I don't want to be remembered this way. I don't normally do this, but I'm begging you, give me a chance. Let me join the Autobots, and you'll never regret it. Protect me from Lockdown, and I'll tell you everything I know."

Prowl pondered what he just heard. On the one hand he was disgusted with the idea of a Decepticon slaver joining the Autobots and escaping punishment, but on the other hand if Swagger didn't cooperate then they would probably never have another chance to catch Lockdown and thousands more femmes would suffer. It seemed that granting the little scraplet political asylum was the lesser of two evils.

"Information first, then we'll discuss your living arrangements," Prowl ordered as he turned on the recording device under the table.

"Are you gonna kill me anyway?" Swagger asked nervously.

"No, I am not," Prowl replied stoically, "However, if you lie to me then you will be taken to Iacon to stand trial for war crimes and femme trafficking. Now, let's start with Lockdown's frequent customer list..."


	2. Friction

_Author's Notes: Yay! I got a chapter out within a couple days of posting the last chapter! That almost never happens anymore! Anyway, I hope this story is one you guys like, and I also hope you'll be willing to leave a review. Thanks again for checking out "I Love You, Sir" :)_

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Chapter 2

Friction

The next orn Crystalline was assigned to do maintenance repairs on the navigation console of the ship. When she got there she saw that there were only two other people on the bridge. She recognized them both from when she first came on the ship. The one at the navigation console was the noblemech that had spied on the Poacher's crew, and the red mech at the weapons console...

"Hey, you're one of the mechs that saved us from Lockdown," Crystalline mentioned when she saw the red racer at the weapons array.

"Yeah, the designation's Sideswipe," Sideswipe introduced himself, "And over there at navigation is Mirage. I'm glad you decided to join the Autobots. I'm not much for the brainiac work on the ship, but I know you do a necessary job."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Crystalline replied wryly as she layed down on the floor to look under the console, "Hm, it looks like everything is in order except for this wire. I'm going to activate it, and I need you to tell me what lights up."

Sideswipe watched the console, and saw that an orange button lit up. He told her where it was exactly.

"Oh, that's the fuel reader," Crystalline informed him, "It doesn't affect performance, but it won't tell you the actual fuel level until it's fixed. I'm going to need my manual calibration chart for this. I think I left it in my new quarters."

"I'll walk with you," Sideswipe offered eagerly, but then awkwardly added "You know, so you don't get lost."

"Thank you, Sideswipe," Crystalline replied politely as she hefted herself up.

Together they walked out into the hall, which was nearly deserted since everyone was at their assigned work stations. Sideswipe already liked this femme and wanted to ask her out, but he didn't know how to approach her. He tried to think of something to talk about, but for the first few breems his mind was coming up blank.

"Your commanding officer is very efficient," Crystalline commented to make small talk, "I respect that. I've always tried to manage my time well also."

"Well you won't find faster more efficient mechs than me and Sunny!" Sideswipe was quick to tell her, "We're the strongest, fastest, most efficient frontline warriors you'll ever meet!"

"Sunny? Who is Sunny?" Crystalline asked as they turned a corner.

"He's my twin brother," Sideswipe explained, "He's the golden colored braggart you met last orn when we rescued you and the other femmes."

"You're a split-spark twin?" Crystalline asked with keen interest, "So am I!"

"Really?" Sideswipe asked incredulously, "I don't think I've met too many other twins before, at least not in our size. Most twins are minicons. Is your twin a mech or a femme?"

"She was a femme," Crystalline replied sadly, "You might have heard of her. Sashay. She was kind of famous around Kalis; the music capital of Cybertron. I still have a picture of her."

Crystalline then pulled a small steel frame out of her subspace, and the holo-image was that of two femmes; one white and gold and the other green and gold, but both had the same soft blue optics.

"I don't recognize her," Sideswipe shrugged, "She's pretty I guess, in a show off sort of way. What did she do that she was famous for?"

"She was a cabaret singer mostly, but she also recorded a few albums," Crystalline explained, "She was best known for her song 'Moonlight In Praxus'. It was a dreamy song about a loving couple ballroom dancing."

"Sounds boring," Sideswipe commented as they approached Crystalline's room, "So what happened to her?"

"Same thing that almost happened to me," Crystalline replied ruefully, "She was in the cabaret about to perform when the Decepticons pillaged and burned Kalis. I don't know if she lived or died. If she lived then the slavers probably got a good price for her. Owning someone as well known as Sashay would probably give them bragging rights. I almost hope she died so she wouldn't have to live through the abuse and the starvation. You'd never know we were twins though. We were polar opposites."

"Yeah, so are me and Sunny," Sideswipe laughed fondly.

"Believe it or not, I was the troublemaker when I was a sparkling," Crystalline told him.

"Really? So am I!" Sideswipe declared happily.

"Yeah, I was always getting into something," Crystalline continued wistfully, "Curiosity blew up more than a few walls in our family home. Sashay was the more studious and obedient one. Our creators were so sure that Sashay was the one that was going to go to college and be a success. Imagine their surprise when I was accepted into the Iacon Science Academy and Sashay ran away to Kalis to pursue a career in show business. It broke our carrier's spark. She was so sure that Sashay was going to end up wiping down gladiators in some pit in Kaon. She didn't though. She made it. In a way I did too. Being a chemist and an engineer is the greatest journey I've ever taken. I wouldn't trade my job for anything else."

They returned to the bridge with Crystalline's tool kit, and Sideswipe knew then that he could easily fall in love with this femme. She was smart, mischievous, curious, and at least was willing to defend herself against the 'Cons despite her lack of training. He also knew that she was probably in a lot of pain despite trying to hide it. He knew if he ever lost Sunstreaker that nothing would be able to make him feel whole again. He wished there was some way he could magically bring back her twin and make that hole in her spark whole again.

Crystalline had walked slightly ahead of Sideswipe. He was walking slower since he was lost in thought. When he got close to the bridge door he suddenly heard Crystalline scream! He immediately rushed inside to see what the situation was.

Sideswipe skidded to a halt when he saw the problem. Crystalline was backed against the wall in fear, and standing in the room was Mirage as well as another mech; that dirty 'Con, Swagger!

"What are _you_ doing in here!?" Sideswipe demanded roughly.

"Getting today's duty assignment," Swagger replied calmly, too calmly for Sideswipe's taste, "Did you ladies need something?"

"Swagger, we went over this," Mirage chided, "Do not antagonize the crew."

"I know, I know," Swagger sighed, "I'm sorry. I'm just cranky until I've had my first enerjolt of the orn."

"What...What is going on?" Crystalline asked indignantly once she felt steady enough to speak, "Why aren't you in the brig?"

"I can't buff the floors from the brig," Swagger replied with an amused expression, "Though I doubt that's the question you're really asking. Prowl is allowing me a trial basis to serve on the ship. So, I'm on probation. Hope you enjoy the ride back to Cybertron, Princess."

"You...You...You _can't_!" Was all Crystalline could manage to say, "Excuse me Sideswipe. I need to go see Prowl about something."

Crystalline then ran out of the bridge as fast as she could, and Sideswipe glared at Swagger. Swagger looked back at Sideswipe with that typical bored expression; neither antagonistic nor apologetic.

"Mirage, what is Prowl thinking letting this slag pile stay here?" Sideswipe shouted angrily, "The femmes are in danger as long as he's out!"

"He turned witness against Lockdown and gave Prowl information we can use to catch the other crew members of the Poacher," Mirage explained, "His current status is that of a political refugee, and Autobots don't arrest refugees."

"He's no refugee, he's a good for nothing slaver!" Sideswipe contested.

"Uh, I'm still in the room. I can hear you," Swagger commented dryly.

"Good! I want you to hear this, 'Con!" Sideswipe stepped so close to the smaller mech that his face plate was mere inches away as he loomed over him, "If you so much as _look_ at a femme funny, or make _one_ snide comment to them, I will tear your fragging helm off! Understand?"

"I understand," Swagger replied dutifully, "May I get to work now?"

Sideswipe snorted as he backed away. He didn't want to extend any sort of courtesy to this amoral trafficker, but Prowl outranked him so he had no choice. Swagger walked around Sideswipe and left the bridge with quick pede steps. Sideswipe crossed his arms and looked back at Mirage, and Mirage gave him a helpless shrug. For the moment they knew they would both have to put up with this, but neither one of them liked it.

* * *

Prowl was drinking a small cube of high grade and going over the security systems of the first smuggler's port when he heard a pinging at his door. He set aside the precious data pad that held the key to taking down Lockdown's operation and went to see who needed him. He opened the door to find Crystalline standing there with her servos on her hips looking madder than Cliffjumper at one of Mirage's safety lectures.

"Can I help you, miss?" Prowl asked formally; sure he knew exactly why she was there.

"You allowed _Swagger_ to become an Autobot?" Crystalline asked accusingly, "He's a monster! Are you insane, sir?"

"No, quite the opposite actually," Prowl replied as he stepped aside and allowed her to enter his quarters, "I have interviewed 8 of the other victims that had direct contact with Swagger. They all stated that he did nothing inappropriate to them beyond what Lockdown demanded. There is no evidence to indicate that Swagger has raped or killed anyone. That is why I am confident in allowing him to serve as a protected witness against Lockdown and the rest of his crew."

"That little troll doesn't deserve your mercy!" Crystalline insisted, "He worked directly under Lockdown! He was Lockdown's stooge, and he couldn't care less about any of us! That living _train wreck_ doesn't deserve to call himself an Autobot!"

"I know this is a difficult situation for all of us, but we need to remember-" Prowl was cut off mid-sentence by a knock on his door, "One moment please."

Prowl answered the door, and this time he saw Swagger standing there holding a floor buffer and looking up at him with a nonchalant look. Prowl could see the subtle facial movements though that indicated stress and possible fear. Swagger was nervous about something, but what?

"Did you need something, Swagger?" Prowl asked.

Crystalline softly gasped when she heard that name, and hid herself against Prowl's wall so she wouldn't be seen by that monstrous creep.

"Is Crystalline here?" Swagger asked; his casual stance undercut by his tense vocal tone.

Prowl saw out of his peripheral vision that Crystalline was hiding to avoid being seen. He understood why. The experience on the Poacher was traumatic, and she wasn't ready to confront one of the mechs from that ship yet.

"No, she is not here at the moment," Prowl stated, "You need to get back to work."

"But-! Uh, I mean, yes sir. Of course, sir," Swagger faltered before giving up altogether and returning to his duties, "Sorry to disturb you, sir."

"You are dismissed," Prowl ordered, and Swagger hesitantly left.

When Prowl closed the door Crystalline breathed a sigh of relief. Then after a few astro-seconds she suddenly realized something.

"Oh scrap! He was looking for me!" Crystalline exclaimed in terror, "He heard I was coming here and he was trying to stop me! He might wait outside the door in hope of catching me! What do I do?"

"Calm down Crystalline," Prowl said softly as he held her arms to support her, "You can wait here for a while to make certain that Swagger isn't there. I'll comm Mirage to walk by this hallway to ensure Swagger isn't there."

"T-Thank you, sir," Crystalline replied shakily, "I'm sorry. I'm normally not such a mess. It's just that I know what Lockdown's mechs are capable of. I saw one mech, his designation was Terrorclaw I think, he actually came close to ripping a femme's arm off when she refused to cooperate with him. It was horrible, hearing her scream like that. Most of Lockdown's crew laughed at her misfortune, but I still remember what Swagger did... _nothing_. He didn't move, he didn't smile, and he didn't seem bothered at all. He just looked bored. It was disgusting. Prowl, he won't change. He only cares about himself, and he'll sell us all out at the first opportunity. You need to get him off the ship."

"Agreed, but until we can get to Cybertron to take him to an Autobot base I can't lock him up," Prowl lamented, "Without his cooperation we have no chance of catching Lockdown, and what happened to you will happen again. I don't like this system, but it's all we have."

Crystalline sat down in a chair next to Prowl's berth, and Prowl went back to work on researching the smuggler's port security systems. He had texted Mirage, and now all they had to do was wait and see what happened.

* * *

Mirage, meanwhile, was walking down the halls in his invisible form just in case he ran into Swagger doing something he shouldn't. Prowl had told him in a text comm that Swagger might be lurking around Prowl's quarters searching for Crystalline. Mirage was sure that wasn't true though. After all, even 'Cons couldn't be that stupid, right?

 _Wrong_.

As Mirage passed Prowl's room he could see a few mechano-meters away that Swagger was hiding behind a beam and watching the room intently. So it was true, Swagger was stalking Crystalline. This warranted some investigation, but first he had to get that little pest away from the door.

Swagger was so focused on watching the room that he didn't even hear Mirage sneak up on him until Mirage materialized and his hand grabbed Swagger's shoulder.

" _AAHH_!" Swagger screamed, and then turned to Mirage with a flustered expression, "Oh, Mirage! Sir! It's you! Good to see you sir!" Swagger shouted far too loudly in that horrible raspy voice.

"What are you doing here spying on Prowl's quarters?" Mirage asked intently.

"Um, I'm not!" Swagger lied, "I was just, uh, buffing behind this support beam. Yeah, that's right, just buffing. Don't look at me like that."

"Why are you here?" Mirage asked more harshly as he grabbed Swagger's shoulder guard again and slammed him into the wall, "You have one chance to come clean!"

Swagger was shaking by now, and his yellow optics practically glowed as they stared up into Mirage's equally bright yellow optics. Swagger was the first to break optic contact as he hung his helm to stare down at the floor.

"I'm sorry sir," Swagger muttered quietly, "I'll get back to work right away, sir. Please don't tell Prowl I was here. It will never happen again."

"I'm going to report this," Mirage replied curtly, and Swagger looked up in near panic, "You will return to work and never spy on the officers' quarters again. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, sir," Swagger stammered as he tried to scoot around Mirage, "It will never happen again."

Swagger then slunk away, still holding his floor buffer. Mirage sighed sharply and wondered what would possess a mech to make himself so obvious. This Swagger guy was obviously unstable and a possible threat to the femmes. In order to figure out how much of a threat he was though, Mirage would need to turn to the tapes he collected of the Poacher crew when he was spying on them. Maybe there he would see something that would tell him what was going on in that troll's processor.


	3. Moonlight In Praxus

_Author's Notes: Hi guys! Welcome back to the fic! This chapter is going to drop some backstory about Crystalline, and of course more romantic tension. I hope you guys like this chapter and stick around for the next one. I also enjoy reading your reviews if you feel like saying anything :)_

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Chapter 3

Moonlight In Praxus

A deca-orn passed in relative calm aboard the Savior. Prowl stayed close to Crystalline after the incident with Swagger, and the 'Con seemed to stay out of trouble after that. It didn't escape Prowl however that every now and then Swagger would look at them and give Prowl a dirty look. For some reason the green and yellow train-former was obsessed with the two of them and seemed to harbor anger or perhaps jealousy over their time together.

Swagger wasn't the only one though. Sideswipe seemed to be infatuated with the white and gold femme and made every excuse to go into the research lab where she worked. Prowl didn't think it was seemly to chase after a femme that had recently suffered trauma, but since she didn't seem to mind his company he didn't say anything to the red and black frontliner.

On this particular orn Crystalline was alone in the lab working on a new tracking system for the handheld weapons used by the Autobots. Sideswipe came in after a few joors of her working alone, and she smiled at finally having some company. She acted brave in front of everyone, but the truth was she was still nervous about Swagger. Something about that 'Con was unsettling to her, but she couldn't yet figure out what it was.

"Hey Cryssie, how's it going?" Sideswipe asked her casually as he flashed a winning smile, "I know things have got to be boring with Captain Calculations watching your every move. I sure know how _that_ feels."

"Prowl has been a perfect gentlemech, actually," Crystalline defended the ship's captain, "I've appreciated his company. He's very intelligent, and genuinely cares about the Autobot cause."

"Ouch! Right in the spark!" Sideswipe shouted playfully as he clutched his chassis, "I've been replaced by a machine!"

"Hahahaha, stop goofing around!" Crystalline laughed, "I need to keep this table from moving too much. Some of these chemicals are volatile."

"Fine, but you'll be glad I'm here when you see what I got for you," Sideswipe said conspiratorially.

He then reached into his subspace and pulled out an orange computer chip. Crystalline took it, but after examining it she still didn't know what it was. She looked at Sideswipe quizzically, and he grinned from audial to audial.

"It's a music chip," Sideswipe announced cheerfully, "I remember you said your twin sang the song 'Moonlight In Praxus'. Well, I searched until I found someone that had a copy downloaded, and I had him send it to me. Of course it was Jazz. I think he has every song known to Cybertronian kind. I, uh, I hope you like it."

"It's...It's so thoughtful. Thank you," Crystalline's voice hitched as she tried to keep her composure; the tears slowly forming as she stared down at the chip in her palm.

"Um, are those happy tears or sad tears?" Sideswipe asked obliviously.

"I'm sorry. I'm normally not so emotional," Crystalline whispered apologetically, "I'm grateful you went to so much trouble to find this, but..."

"But what?" Sideswipe asked apprehensively.

"It's just that it reminds me so much of Sashay," Crystalline sobbed; no longer able to control herself, "The not knowing is the hardest part. If I had her body I could at least know what happened and move on. If she was alive I could save her. The fact that it's a question I can never answer...I don't want my spark to feel a hope that can never be fulfilled, and yet it's there. She was a part of me, Sideswipe. I think you're probably the only one on this ship that could possibly understand how deeply this cuts me. I'll keep this music chip because you are my friend, but I can't listen to it. I can't hear her voice without losing my mind. I just can't."

Sideswipe hugged her, and she leaned into his embrace. He felt like such a failure. Not only did he get her a gift that made her sad, but he was also stuck in the friend zone. He didn't know how he was going to fix this, but he knew he would try. Sideswipe didn't want to call his feelings _love_ yet, but it felt awfully close to it. Crystalline was a smart, kind, funny, spunky femme, and he wanted her to be his femme. If only he knew what to do to get her to like him back.

Crystalline walked away from Sideswipe after a long moment of holding him that he didn't want to end. She walked slowly back to her room and sat on her berth alone in the dark. She didn't want to be around people in that moment. She just couldn't. She couldn't get that final orn out of her processor...

* * *

 _Moonlight in Praxus..._

 _Dreamy dreary dancing moonlight in Praxis,_

 _We dance as the tiny shining stars look down,_

 _On this classy sassy neon town..._

 _Moonlight in Praxus..._

 _Give me just one more deca-orn here in Praxus,_

 _A city filled with beauty intrigue, and dreams,_

 _Where anything can happen or so it seems,_

 _Here we dance…_

 _Both entranced…_

 _By moonlight in Praxus…_

Sashay finished her torch song as the crowd in the cabaret applauded and cheered. Crystalline had never seen one of her sister's shows in person, and she was surprised by the turnout. When she heard 'cabaret' she assumed it was some tiny dive in downtown Kalis filled with enerjolt and cygar smoke and drunken louts. As it turned out though Sashay was a headliner in one of the fanciest establishments in the whole city-state, and mechs and femmes would come from mechano-miles around just to see her perform.

Crystalline went backstage to see Sashay after the show. It had been 4 vorns since the twins had been in the same room together, and Crystalline wondered if the glitz and glamour of Kalis had changed her sister at all. She found Sashay sitting at a polishing station applying touch-up paint to the gold trim surrounding her face. She caught a glimpse of Crystalline in the mirror, and her features instantly lit up.

"Crystalline!" Sashay shouted giddily as she hopped up from the stool she had been sitting on, "I am so glad you finally came! What did you think? Did I come off too strong?"

"No, you were perfect, like always," Crystalline chuckled at her twin's sudden nervousness, "I can't believe my twin is a celebrity. So, how many bonding proposals have you got in your inbox yet?"

"Oh, Crystalline!" Sashay slapped lightly at her sister as she ducked her helm in embarrassment, "Seriously though, I heard you got accepted to work for the council's R&D department. That is so incredible! Oh to be a scraplet on the wall during those brainstorming sessions."

"It's not that interesting," Crystalline replied modestly, "Not compared to all this. You made it. I wouldn't be surprised if someday you become a broadcast star. You could sell your own line of little air fresheners. _Scent of Sashay_! Hah!"

"Would you cut it out?" Sashay shouted despite laughing at the joke, "I only have 10 breems before I'm due back on stage."

"Hey, why don't you and I find a place at the bar and see who wants to buy us some high grade?" Crystalline suggested.

"Oh, I couldn't," Sashay shook her helm quickly.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Crystalline shouted encouragingly, "What kind of celebrity doesn't flirt with the mechs and get some free drinks out of it?"

"I know I look glamorous on stage Crystalline, but that isn't me," Sashay replied wanly, "When I sing I'm playing a character. During 'Moonlight In Praxus' I am a young lover, and during 'Dewdrops In Kaon' I'm hot for a gladiator. That isn't me though. It's just the part I play to keep customers coming back. Deep down I'm still just that nerdy youngling that worries about whether or not people like me. Sorry Crystalline, but I'm still that limp wire that won't cover for you when sire asks whether or not you've been drinking."

"Great," Crystalline rolled her optics sarcastically, "Hey, sing your spark out, but I'm gonna have fun tonight. Maybe get some high grade, meet a cute mech, and then get-"

"Hey, babe!" A large purple and charcoal triple changer shouted from across the room as he strolled over to where the femmes were, "You were great out there. You catch my solo a joor ago?"

"Of course Octane," Sashay replied cordially, "You were magnificent as always. Good thing you're not a femme or I'd be out of a job."

"Could never happen. You're good Sashay baby, real good," Octane replied as he smirked like he could see right through their armor, "So, you gonna introduce me to your stunning new friend here?"

"That's my _sister_ , Octane," Sashay replied; a firmness in her tone that gave a clear warning, "Crystalline, this is Octane. He's our resident Gibsli player. When he taps those keys it's like he makes the stars themselves sing. The crowd loves him."

"Oh you are too kind, baby," Octane waved away her flattery, "Seriously though babe, I'm leaving the scene after this show. I quit as of right now."

" _What_!?" Sashay exclaimed in shock, "You're _leaving_!? You have another show next orn! Where are we supposed to find a replacement Gibsli player on such short notice? You can't quit right now! Give us three orns to find someone that can take your place. The Spoiler Lounge can't afford to have the stage be empty for that long. The customers will complain."

"Yeah, well frankly I don't care what the customers do," Octane growled, "I don't know if you've noticed babe, but there are bigger things going on than our little nightclub. I'm talking revolution, babe. I'm talking the downfall of our entire way of life. I'm talking _the Decepticons_."

"That's ridiculous," Crystalline scoffed before her twin could respond, "No way can some gladiator and a few malcontents overthrow the government. If you join them you'll just end up in prison or worse, dead. Sashay is right. You should just stay here."

"Forget it, sweet spark," Octane replied dismissively, "I know which way the wind is blowing. A revolution means chaos, and chaos means an opportunity for power. Not to mention all the looting. I'm not gonna let that opportunity pass me by. I'm going, and this place can rot in the pit for all I care."

"Fine. Then go," Sashay replied frostily; looking at the mirror rather than Octane, "If you want to be selfish that's your business. I'll take your slot on stage. In fact, I'll keep this place going if I have to carry the entire show myself. Have a nice life, Octane. I hope they don't kill you."

"Right back at 'cha, sweet spark," Octane replied; his tone more sincere than before, "Hey, I got some enerjolts in my subspace if you want them. It's all I can offer as a goodbye present."

"No thank you Octane, I don't smoke," Sashay replied coldly, "Just get out before I say something I'll regret."

Octane looked back at her with melancholy written on his face plate, but he did as she requested and left through the back fire escape door. Crystalline looked back at her sister and saw that Sashay had deflated from her rigid posture and now just looked defeated.

"Um, not to be too nosy, but were you dating him?" Crystalline asked curiously.

"No, though I'm fairly sure he's interfaced with half the other femmes that came by," Sashay replied flatly, "He liked me, but it was never mutual. He has too many strange ideas about the powerful crushing the weak. He's been reading Megatron's propaganda literature for a long time, but I never thought he'd actually join those radicals."

"I heard they're already in Helex," Crystalline replied worriedly, "I don't think they'll really overthrow the council, but I do think they'll do a lot of damage before they're through. The Spoiler Lounge is a tempting target. Maybe you should leave too. For your own safety. Just until things calm down."

"I can't leave," Sashay replied with a wan smile, "My boss relies on me. My friends are all here. This club is my home and my coworkers are like my family. Besides, what are the odds of a terrorist group attacking a place like this? We've never done anything to them. They have no reason to attack a nightclub..."

* * *

That was the last time Crystalline ever saw Sashay. Oh, how wrong her sister had been. It was 3 vorns later when the Decepticons had attacked Kalis. By then they were stronger and were a legitimate threat to Cybertron.

Crystalline had comm'ed her sister to see if she could convince her to leave, but Sashay never answered. In fact, all Crystalline got was static. She learned why several deca-orns later when it was revealed on the news that Kalis had been completely destroyed. Sashay would've never left the club defenseless, so it was most likely that she died making her last stand there.

Then there was the _other_ option. Sashay could've been captured and forced to work as a pleasure bot just as Crystalline almost was. Crystalline knew her sister wouldn't last long living that kind of life. Her sister wasn't strong like she was. Sashay was tender and frankly a bit of a prude. It would be a fate worse than death to someone like her.

Crystalline decided she had spent enough time allowing the ghosts of the past to haunt her. She left her room so she could go back to work, but when she turned to go down the hall she saw a green and yellow blur run from the corner.

 _Swagger_! Swagger had been watching for her to leave her room. He had been spying from around the corner, and was probably waiting for a good moment to attack her!

Crystalline wasn't about to leave this up to chance, so she comm'ed the one person she knew could keep that little slag heap in line.

/Prowl, are you there. It's Crystalline,/ Crystalline comm'ed him quietly despite knowing no one else could hear her, /Please answer me.../

/Crystalline. Is this important?/ Prowl asked, /I am in the middle of a debriefing with Mirage over-/

/Please!/ Crystalline shouted desperately, /Swagger has been watching me! I think he wants to attack me!/

/I'm on my way. Don't move,/ Prow ordered before cutting off the comm.

Crystalline waited in the hallways nervously, wondering if and when Swagger would return. She kept looking down the hallway for Prowl, and then back at the corner to see if that little fragger was still watching her. She saw Swagger peer around the corner again and her spark hitched in fear. She didn't run though, but instead she glared at Swagger challengingly in an effort to stare him down. It had the opposite effect though, as Swagger came around the corner and started walking right toward her!

"W-What are you doing here, 'Con?" Crystalline shouted harshly; trying to sound more confident than she felt.

"Waiting for you to be alone," Swagger replied shamelessly, "I need to talk to you."

"I have nothing to say to slavers," Crystalline replied haughtily as she turned her back on the former Decepticon, but then turned back around after realizing she needed to watch him so he wouldn't attack her.

"I notice Prowl has kept a pretty close optic on you," Swagger spoke as if he hadn't even heard Crystalline's objection, "Has he-?"

Before Swagger could finish however, Prowl came speed walking down the hall with a stern expression on his face plate; like a principal coming after a prankster. Swagger stepped back and looked at Prowl with slight apprehension, and Crystalline was glad Prowl was there to save her from the creepy stalker.

"Swagger. I have received a complaint about you lurking outside Crystalline's quarters. Care to explain yourself?" Prowl asked as he glared crossly at the former 'Con.

"N-No, I wasn't, I mean I didn't, I mean..." Swagger wrung his servos nervously and avoided optic contact with Prowl as he spoke; choosing instead to look down at the floor, "...I wasn't lurking, sir. Permission to get back to work, sir?"

"No," Prowl replied; surprising the 'Con, "Mirage brought me surveillance footage from the Poacher that concerns you. You will follow me to the interrogation room, _now_."

Swagger gulped but then nodded his helm timidly. Crystalline would've felt pity for him if she didn't know what he was. As Prowl led Swagger away Crystalline sighed in relief and returned to her room; too drained to go back to work at the moment. She pulled out a data pad and began to proofread a design she was working on for a new shielding system for their ship. She hoped that would be enough to keep slavers and 'Moonlight In Praxus' out of her processor.


	4. No Smoking

_Author's Notes: 14 months. I can't believe I waited 14 months to update this fic! Sad part is, this isn't the only story I've neglected for this long. I guess I just get nervous when I write romantic fiction. It's hard to balance the physical and emotional parts of my characters' relationships. Hopefully this chapter succeeded though, and hopefully I'll be able to update this story more frequently from now on. Thank you to those who are taking the time to read this story, and I hope you like this chapter :)_

* * *

Chapter 4

No Smoking

Prowl and Mirage sat across at a table in their interrogation room staring across the expanse at Swagger, who shifted nervously at their knowing glares.

"Do you know why you were brought here, Swagger?" Prowl asked point blank.

"No, sir," Swagger rasped in a small voice as he looked down at the floor.

"Play the footage, Mirage," Prowl ordered; never taking his ice blue optics off the former Decepticon.

Swagger forced himself to look up to see what had Prowl so upset. Prowl had said it had something to do with his time aboard the Poacher, but that could be literally anything. Autobots hated everything Decepticons did, so Swagger wasn't sure what had set the ship's captain off.

The footage was grainy and the sound was tinny, but it was still easy to tell which 'Con was which due to their differing alt modes and color schemes. The footage was recorded right after the research vessel had been destroyed and all profitable femmes had been brought aboard as cargo. The femmes were lined up in a row, some were glaring defiantly at their captors while others wept. One even tried to escape on camera, but was knocked unconscious by a mech Swagger recognized as Rubberneck.

"Well done, mechs," Lockdown said on the tape, "We have quite a few glitches for our coffers here. As always I offer first choice to the lot of you before we start selling them off. Swagger! Start measuring their frames and cataloging them!"

"Yes, sir! Right away, sir!" Swagger replied as he hurried to carry out his task.

Prowl and Mirage watched Swagger watch the tape. The Decepticon had a very expressive faceplate, and at the moment he looked ashamed at seeing himself act like a toady for his former master. That however wasn't what had upset Prowl. That part came a few breems later.

"Captain Lockdown sir?" The Swagger on the monitor addressed his captain with deference; clearly wanting to request something, "I've finished writing down all the stats of our cargo. Three virgins were detected. The femme Flame War has the largest chassis. All of them are capable of reproduction. Tip Toe is the youngest. Shard is the oldest."

"Sounds good," Lockdown replied disinterestedly, "Take them to their cell."

"Um, sir? I, um, I wanna buy one," Swagger was nervous as he made this declaration and ducked down when Lockdown turned to look at him.

"Really? You've never so much as broken a femme in, and now you want one for yourself?" Lockdown asked in mild surprise, "I was starting to wonder about you, to be honest. I was afraid you were a soft spark, which as we know is only good for Autobots and target practice."

"Of course, sir," Swagger nodded his head quickly, wringing his servos in an almost eager way, "Anyway, I want to purchase the femme named Crystalline. She's a rather plain femme with a boring white paint job and a nearly flat chassis, so I figure I can afford her."

"Really? Last I checked she was a stunning creature with golden accents and delicate servos," Lockdown replied with a wicked smirk, "I know what you're doing, you little cheapskate. You want a deal on the femme, don't you? Well, I see no reason to not indulge you this once. After all, you're my loyal little lapdog. I can trust no one else on this rust bucket the way I trust you. However, my stock is not free. I expect 120 shanix by the end of the orn."

"You'll have it sir!" Swagger replied quicker than normal, "I must admit that's cheaper than I expected."

"Well I know how stressful it can be to work on this ship," Lockdown shrugged, "And you of all mechs are in need of some serious stress relief. I mean, you twitch more than a glitch mouse, and you're forced to be surrounded by femmes you never touch. I'm willing to be generous just this once."

The tape was abruptly shut off by Prowl, unwilling to listen to anymore small talk from those evil mechs. He turned back to Swagger, and if looks could melt plating Swagger would be a puddle of slag on the floor. Swagger gulped nervously and took an enerjolt out of subspace. As he was about to strike it on his armor to light it up Prowl took the offending blue stick out of Swagger's servo and snapped it in two; electrified blue liquid popping and fizzing down his digits.

"So, you tried to buy Crystalline?" Prowl asked in a calm voice, but the hatred written on his face belied the banality of his tone.

Swagger just looked at the broken enerjolt still staining Prowl's digit. The green and yellow 'Con's faceplate bespoke of a mixture of anger and horror, with horror winning the day.

"Prowl asked you a question!" Mirage snapped at the small train-former.

" _Tried_ nothing, I did buy her!" Swagger suddenly shouted, trying to force his rage to overcome his fear, "I gave Lockdown the 120 shanix before you freaks showed up, and you know what? She was worth at least 500 to him! I would've spent that much and more! I would've given my wheels to save her!"

"Save her?" Prowl repeated, unconvinced.

"Yes, _save her_ ," Swagger continued undeterred, "Another crew member was going to buy her, and he would've raped her for real. I figured if I could just save one femme, that maybe I'd be able to sleep that night. I figured maybe for once I could stop feeling like a dirty worthless bag of scrap. Fat lot of good that did..."

Prowl didn't entirely believe Swagger's story. He could tell the informant was leaving something out. This wasn't just some random femme to Swagger. He followed her around even now, and he asked for Crystalline by name. Clearly he wanted her, and the most likely explanation was that he was infatuated with her. Prowl narrowed his optics at the 'Con, and Swagger leaned further back in his seat in a futile effort to distance himself from Prowl.

"I'm sending you to the brig for the duration of our journey back to Cybertron," Prowl announced to Swagger, "If you so much as touch Crystalline, or even vent air on her frame, I will force you into stasis lock and ship your spark to the nearest criminal holding facility. Do I make myself clear?"

Swagger looked like he was about ready to concede, but then he said something that caught Prowl off guard.

"I know what you're doing to her," Swagger whispered in his raspy enerjolt-clogged voice, "I know what you make her do, and if you're trying to silence me there's no point. I have no power here. I can't stop you, and I can't hurt you. All I can do is ask you to please not hurt her. She's a scientist. She can still be useful to your cause. Please don't break her, sir."

Swagger's faceplate was so full of hurt as he laid bare his concerns. Prowl knew that such pain could not be faked, unless Swagger was the best actor on Cybertron. He began to understand what Swagger was implying, and he couldn't help but take offense at the implication.

"You think I'm raping Crystalline myself?" Prowl asked; his voice a low growl.

"Why else would you spend so much time around her?" Swagger asked accusingly, "Why else would you call her to your quarters so often? I know you want her, and you know you have her trapped here under your power. That's what captains do. They take whatever they want. I only hope you aren't as rough on your favorites as Lockdown was on his."

Swagger then pulled another enerjolt out of his subspace, and Prowl snatched that one as well.

"Hey! Stop that!" Swagger barked in annoyance, "If I'm going to be locked away and sent to the pit the least you can allow me is one last smoke!"

"I have never touched Crystalline in an inappropriate way," Prowl stated vehemently, "Crystalline has come to me for help several times, and virtually every time it was regarding you."

"Oh," Was all Swagger said in reply.

"Now, do you consider Crystalline your property?" Prowl asked intently.

"No, sir," Swagger replied.

"Do you intend to further stalk Crystalline?" Prowl asked.

"No, sir," Swagger replied solemnly.

"Do you swear this on the continued integrity of your spark?" Prowl asked pointedly.

Swagger gulped, but replied with "Y-Yes sir, I do."

"Alright then," Prowl nodded slowly, "I should throw you out the airlock and let you drift around in space until you starve, but I'm going to give you one more chance. If you go near Crystalline anymore, your spark will be permanently removed from your body and placed in indefinite storage."

"Yes, sir," Swagger bowed his helm as he spoke.

"One more condition of your parole is that you give up smoking enerjolts," Prowl added.

"What!?" Swagger shouted crossly, "You can't do that! I need these! How am I supposed to get through the orn without enerjolts? I mean, Autobots smoke sometimes, right?"

"Medicinally, yes," Prowl conceded, "However, the enerjolts you are consuming are clearly made for recreational use. They are an explosion hazard around the engine room of the ship, and are also damaging your body."

"Oh, and the guns we carry around don't blast things and damage our bodies?" Swagger asked in a snarky tone of voice.

"You will stop smoking or go to the brig," Prowl replied in no uncertain terms, "Do we have an understanding?"

Swagger glared hotly at Prowl, but when his gaze didn't weaver Swagger finally sighed and ground out the words, "Yes... _sir_."

* * *

The next cycle Crystalline was in the lab examining a large chunk of metal. She dropped a clear chemical on it to see what would happen, and noticed that spot became more pliable. This was good. It meant her new formula was working and she would be able to build more organic looking pieces for her new shield generator. Everything was working out and with Prowl looking out for her she didn't have to worry about that steam engine stalker.

As she worked the door opened, and she turned to see Sideswipe standing in the doorway with that charming grin he always wore. Normally such a distraction from her work would be unwelcome, but Crystalline found she enjoyed spending time with the carefree mech.

"Do you need something, Sideswipe?" Crystalline asked with a coy smile.

"Just wondering why a beautiful femme like you is cooped up in a stuffy place like this all the time," Sideswipe replied flirtatiously, "Actually, we're getting ready to pass a solar system that has this exploding star thing. I thought you might like to see it."

"It's called a supernova," Crystalline giggled, "It's what happens when a star's core collapses. Also, yes, I would love to see it."

"I know the best place on the whole ship to look out the windows," Sideswipe said excitedly, "Come on, I'll show you!"

Sideswipe then took Crystalline by the hand and led her through the halls, with her barely able to keep up with his frenetic pace. She thought she should object and get back to work, but if she were being honest with herself she knew she would rather play hooky with Sideswipe. She was so glad she met him. He was fun to be around and made her feel alive again. She knew he liked her, and she thought she could find her way toward liking him too...maybe.

When they got in the elevator Sideswipe pressed the button for the lower decks, and Crystalline wondered what he was planning. She had heard from other Autobots that he was a prankster. If this was an elaborate joke she would not be happy about that. Once the elevator stopped they were in a hallway that was so dark it was difficult to see the servo in front of your face.

"Why are we down here? What is this?" Crystalline asked nervously, still gun shy after what happened with the Decepticons.

"This is a storage deck. No one really comes down here for anything," Sideswipe explained, "At the end of the hall is the hangar where new cargo is brought on board. There's this _huge_ window there where we'll be able to see everything!"

Sideswipe's enthusiasm was infectious, and Crystalline picked up her pace to see what was so special about an unused cargo hangar. When they got inside it was slightly brighter due to the star cluster out in space lighting up the room slightly. The room was big enough to house a couple combiners and a guardian robot too, and it was completely empty except for the pair of Autobots. Sideswipe led her to the edge of the room where the window was, and there was a ledge just big enough for them to sit down.

The star cluster was mostly comprised of white dwarves, but the main star off to the right side from them was a supernova that popped and flickered; very far away yet very much where the optic was drawn. It was like a sprinkling of diamonds and fireworks against a black canvas.

"Sideswipe," Crystalline gasped, "This is amazing."

"Beautiful, huh?" Sideswipe agreed, "I knew you'd wanna see it. Besides, it's more fun looking at this with you than with Sunstreaker. He doesn't get into this sort of thing."

"It reminds me of my first trip through the Gilmeck System when I was in the science academy," Crystalline said softly, "Of course then the stars in that galaxy were mostly main sequence stars. This cluster is full of fragments from a dying system."

"You always gotta think of things in technical terms?" Sideswipe asked playfully.

"I didn't used to," Crystalline lamented, "Turns out though science can be a refuge. When parts of the universe don't make sense, it's comforting to think about the parts that do."

"You know what makes sense to me right now?" Sideswipe asked as he leaned closer to Crystalline.

Crystalline wasn't sure how to react at first when Sideswipe pressed his glossa against hers and started kissing her. After a moment though she started pressing against him in return. Did this make sense to her? Not really. Did it matter? At the moment, no.

Crystalline wrapped her arms around Sideswipe as he pressed her against the cold glass window. She felt herself shiver, but it wasn't just from the cold. It had been a long time since she had done anything so spontaneous, and Sideswipe was such a handsome and likable mech. Did she love him? Too soon for that. Did it matter? At the moment, not really.

Sideswipe stopped kissing her and started burying his faceplate into her neck cables. He felt the tires on her back, and he could feel her exploring the side of his chassis. He wondered how far he should take this. Would she hate him if they went too far too soon? She had dealt with a lot over the past few orns. Then again, she was just as into this as he was at the moment. He wasn't sure whether or not to open his spark chamber or not.

Just as this internal conflict was going on and the two of them were making out like it would be their last time, the door suddenly opened. The couple disengaged and looked to see who it was, and saw a small figure backing into the room turned away from them. When the figure turned around they saw it was Swagger, and Swagger let out an undignified scream at seeing them.

" _Ahhh_!" Swagger shrieked, "Oh, uh...I can explain."

"What are you _doing_ here?" Crystalline asked angrily, "Prowl said-"

"Hey, hey! I'm not following you this time!" Swagger assured her as he held up his servos placatingly, "I'm just...uh...Well, I'm trying to sneak an enerjolt. Just to get me through the orn. Prowl won't let me smoke, and it's driving me crazy!"

"You came all the way down here just to smoke?" Sideswipe asked; unconvinced, "Yeah, right. I know you've been bothering Crystalline. Well if you're looking for a beatdown, then go ahead. Stay. Try it again. I _dare_ you."

"Uh...*sigh*, I guess it's not worth it," Swagger said defeatedly, "Stupid Prowl. Stupid enerjolts. Stupid life."

"I can help you with that last part," Sideswipe quipped in a challenging tone.

"Alright, I'm going! I'm going!" Swagger shouted as he scampered out of the room.

With Swagger gone Sideswipe turned to see if Crystalline was alright, and he saw she was shaking. She wouldn't even look up at him.

"Does that little twerp really scare you that bad?" Sideswipe asked, "Because you know Sunny and I can make it look like a suicide."

"Why won't he leave me alone?" Crystalline asked in frustration, "I don't understand. Why me? Why does he want me, and why won't Prowl just arrest him already? He's a pest and a monster! He doesn't deserve to be here, and he doesn't deserve our pity. Why does he get to live his life at the cost of me not fully being able to live mine? It just doesn't make any sense..."

"You know what does make sense?" Sideswipe asked.

"I'm not in the mood anymore," Crystalline replied dryly.

"No, silly. The stars," Sideswipe clarified as he turned her attention back to the window, "You said when the universe doesn't make sense you like to think about things that do. So, tell me what you know about star clusters like this one."

Crystalline smiled gratefully at Sideswipe as he sat down next to her. She wanted to hug him in that moment, to kiss him, to wrap herself around him and let him fill her spark with the calm she couldn't produce within herself. Instead, she began to explain various attributes of the stars they were gazing upon, and she was so happy that he was willing to listen.


End file.
